West Brom: Fortune looking for goals

Published:14:59Thursday 16 December 2010

West Brom boss Roberto Di Matteo is looking for an improved goal contribution from Marc-Antoine Fortune in the absence of Baggies top-scorer Peter Odemwingie.

Odemwingie, who has netted six times this season since arriving at the Hawthorns in August from Lokomotiv Moscow, is likely to miss Sunday's derby against Wolves due to a calf problem which also ruled him out of the 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa last weekend.

Fortune - another summer signing - took Odemwingie's place on that occasion and if the Frenchman is to continue leading the line, Di Matteo wants to see him swiftly adding to his tally of just one goal for the campaign so far.

"He's scored a good goal and played some good games but he hasn't really hit it off as yet. He's still chasing his best form a little bit.

"We've got three strikers here at the moment and if they chip in with goals, it's not a problem.

"If Peter's not playing, we need Marco, Ishmael Miller or whoever's playing up top to score goals, because that's what ultimately wins you

games.

"As much as you want players in other positions to chip in with goals, you do need somebody up front who gets on the end of your link-up play."

Injury has restricted Miller to only a handful of substitute appearances this term and Di Matteo does not feel he is ready for a start, while the manager remains unsure whether or not to experiment by playing midfielder Somen Tchoyi up front.

"Ish hasn't got 90 minutes in his legs yet but he is getting better day by day, through training and playing," Di Matteo said.

"He's getting ever closer to full match fitness.

"It's something we've looked at with Somen.

"The only issue with that is that we've not had the chance to try it during pre-season, which is a shame as that's the time to try players for such emergencies."